


Dip Your Heart in Hot Chocolate

by Eagel



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Christmas, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28668543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eagel/pseuds/Eagel
Summary: "So…" Gavin started, his tone was… anxious, and a little uneasy. "I don't have a Christmas present for you, but…" he drove the tip of his shoe into the ground, grinding against the snow."…But?"  Leo stopped panicking and was even relieved, but still, he expected something."Do you mind…" Gavin stood in front of Leo, facing him, he scratched at the back of his neck, then raises his head to look at Leo's eyes. "Taking my heart?"
Relationships: Leo Manfred/Gavin Reed
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: DBHSecretSanta2020





	Dip Your Heart in Hot Chocolate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rainbyotes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbyotes/gifts).



> Hello hello!  
> This was written as a Secret Santa gift for @Rainbyotes on Tumblr <3
> 
> Happy New Year!! I hope you'll enjoy reading this, it'd make me very happy!!  
> I am very inexperienced with the characters and I'm very very sorry if they seem out of character!!
> 
> I really enjoyed writing these two together, they are fun although a little tough to work with, but still!  
> It was really new to me, I was really nervous but excited to take up a ship that I wasn't familiar with!
> 
> Thank you to the hosts who made this event possible!! It was really fun and I'm sure it made a lot of people happy!!  
> And I hope this gift will bring you happiness, too!!
> 
> Although we don't know each other, I think it's almost magical that this event connected people and allowed us to bring joy to others! I barely participated in any events and this one really made me feel included and valued!! So, a lot of thanks for that!
> 
> Please take care of yourself and have a nice day. Stay safe. Enjoy <3
> 
> Some notes:  
> \- I was having a tough time writing, so I changed the setting so that both Leo and Gavin are of the same age!  
> \- It's an alternate universe in case you didn't notice the tags.

Leo sat in the backyard, listening to the song playing on the radio from inside the house, he pulled in a long breath, the freezing air stabbed at his lungs, as he let out a sigh, a cloud escaped his lips and fogged up the view in front of him. He heard the laughter and chattering of the people inside the house, he didn't feel like going home, and he didn't feel like socializing with his friends, not that he's really close to any of them.

His gaze trailed over the fence that separated the yard from the road, the surface is sprinkled in white glitter, while the sidewalk was imprinted with numerous footprints with the rest of the snow shoveled away and out of the path. He was sitting on a bench, he had wiped the frost off the seat prior, there was some random garbage around him, piled up cardboards and an old, rusty bike. Behind him was a window, allowing him to eavesdrop unintentionally on conversations that were out of context, and he listened to the decent indie-pop songs on the radio.

He adjusted his scarf and pulled his beanie tighter around his ears, he looked for cigarettes in his pockets, then fished out a lighter. One click, two clicks, he struggled to even see a spark of fire from the lighter, just as he was about to give up, a voice called out to him.

And Leo saw Gavin walking up to him, one hand raised in greeting, "Hey."

"Yo," Leo replied, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and shoving the lighter back into his pocket. "Shitty party," Gavin said, his tone just as smug as any other day. "What else did you expect?" Leo muttered without giving it much thought, Gavin wiped away the snow from the surface of the bench and sat down next to Leo. "Scooch," Gavin said, nudging his shoulder against his friend's. "No way, the seat's finally warm enough, I'm not freezing my ass off again," Leo pushed his elbow into Gavin's side, making him groan. They glare light-heartedly at each other, then Gavin proceeded to rest his elbow on the armrest of the bench, sighing, "Fine, fine, you didn't have to shove me like that."

Leo's gaze drifted away from Gavin until he felt something tapping on his arm, he turned around and noticed that Gavin was lending him his lighter. "Thanks," Leo reached for it and lit his cigarette, then returned it to Gavin, who also had a cig between his lips.

They sat in silence for a while, watching smoke dissipate into the air, and the clouds that form with each of their exhales.

"How was finals?" Gavin started, and waited for Leo to respond.

"I fucked it up bad enough." Leo answered and took in another long inhale, "Not that it matters. I'm going to look for a job anyway."

"Same," Gavin sighed, "What a fucking idea, letting some stupid papers decide how you are going to live the rest of your life."

"Doesn't really matter," Leo added and shook off the ashes of his cigarette, "At least we got out alive."

Gavin chuckled and drew in another breath, he tightened his jacket around him and leaned back into the bench. Their shoulders were pressed together, sitting close next to each other seems to have kept them warm. Occasionally, their thighs brush, but Gavin doesn't seem to mind it at all.

Gavin stood up first and strolled around the yard, not that the space was big enough for him to get anywhere, he dropped his cigarette and smothered it with his heel. "What kind of jobs are you looking for?" Gavin asked while patting his hands on a bush, watching the layer of frost fall from its leaves, shattering like glass. "Dunno, maybe at a restaurant? Delivery jobs? Just about anything I can get my hands on," Leo spoke his mind, after all, he doesn’t have much to hide, or to look forward to.

"What about your brother?" Gavin hesitated, but he questioned nonetheless, he kind of knew that Leo didn't like talking about his brother, hell, Leo resented Markus, for whatever reason or experience he had living under the same roof with him as siblings. "Who knows?" Leo spat with spite, "He can fuck off with his paintings, and his boyfriend."

Gavin glanced back at him, he felt a little, just a little, bad, for bringing Markus up. He knew that Leo did not like feeling that Carl favored Markus over him, that's obviously not true, but for the fucked up teens they were, Gavin couldn't blame anyone, when they are hard to love and understand, when Carl did try his best as a single father, but despite all of that, there are just some habits you can't shake off.

Gavin crouched down and pawed at the ground, which made Leo raise a brow in confusion.

The next second, something was flying toward him and splattered onto his face, his nose was spiked with a freezing cold while he lost his grip on his cigarette as he wiped the snow off his face.

"What the fuck- You're so dead," Leo shook his head to make sure nothing gets into his mouth, he wiped his arm over his face, with frost still stuck on his beanie and melting on his scarf, he charged toward Gavin, who exclaimed in surprise and amusement as he dodged, running over to the other side of the yard. Leo bent over to grab a handful of snow, formed them into balls with his palms, but before he could throw his snowball at Gavin, his shoulder was hit again, the remains of the frost stuck to his coat and soaked the fabric, he ignored the cold and launched his attack, Gavin was so indulged with laughing with his mouth wide open, that his jaw took the hit and Leo watched the snow explode into different directions.

This time, it was Leo laughing when Gavin ran up to him and did a poor attempt to wrestle him, both of them were losing all abilities to even, forgetting themselves in endorphins and the pure euphoria of being in the moment without a care in the world. Gavin was grabbing him by the front of his coat while both of Leo's hands are clutched onto Gavin's shoulder, all too focused on laughing to gather the strength to push him away.

Leo was about to calm his laughter when he slipped and tripped Gavin over, he yelped before he hit the ground, Gavin didn't fall as hard, he did almost twist his ankle, but his arms stopped himself from crashing into Leo's face, there was a rush of cold that had spread from his elbows to his arms, and Leo was trapped under his body as he loomed over him. Leo fell silent, each exhales escaping from his chapped lips had clouded the little space they have between them, the messy scarf draped over his neck, buried in white glitter as his expression turns nervous, that was when Gavin noticed, the faint red, a weak flush on his nose, his peach fuzz, and the color of his eyes.

Leo tightened his grip on Gavin's jacket - only then, he realized that he was grabbing at Gavin when they fell - then shoved him onto the ground next to him.

He stared up at the sky, a gloomy blue, a brief dash of purple just before nightfall, trying to hide his quickened breathing pace and heartbeat.

The snow crunched as he pushed himself up from the ground, briefly getting the snow off his coat, he made his way toward the exit, Gavin followed suit, and accompanied him as they walked past the gate, the noises of the people and the music playing at the party began to fade into the distance as they strolled down the path.

While they wandered down the street, they saw children running around in thick layers of clothing, they saw couples holding hands as they pass by on the other side of the road, they saw multiple others by themselves, meandering around the neighborhood, with bags of holiday gifts and hot drinks in their hands.

They don't say anything, they simply share the therapeutic, rhythmic sounds of shoes tapping against cement and winter.

Eventually, they made their way to the park, there, in the middle of the plaza, stands a Christmas tree, kids laughed as they chased after each other, they hear a few joyful barks of dogs, skipping along to the merry atmosphere that surrounded them. Even before the sun had set and the sky has yet to become darker, the lights that hung on the branches of the trees in the park had already begun shining in the same shade of blue, surrounding Christmas tree adorned by glowing ornaments and a sole star standing at the very top.

Leo headed toward the plaza, first. Gavin joined him and they take in the view of smiling faces and dogs wagging their tails, the snow was thinned by the trails of passersby, cherry voices resonated in the background, along with the hues of the sunset, being slowly claimed by blue before the night arrives.

"Quite the lovely evening," Gavin commented, it's not that he really wanted a conversation that badly, but he was just wondering, if Leo wanted to say something, perhaps starting first would make it a lot more comfortable for Leo. His friend hummed with hands in his pockets, and remained quiet.

Gavin shook it off and turned his gaze back to the tree.

"Merry Christmas."

Gavin's attention shifted back to Leo as soon as he muttered those words, even Leo had voiced it so faintly, the rush of giddiness didn't felt any less intense. "Merry Christmas," he replied, shuffling closer and bumped him lightly with his shoulder. Leo let out a subtle laugh, but Gavin knew it was genuine.

Both of them wore a smile, as the night grew, the streetlights flashed and shone onto the street, glee wafted through the air as people come and go.

"So…" Gavin started, his tone was… anxious, and a little uneasy. "What?" Leo replied, catching onto Gavin's anxiety that seems out of the blue.

Leo definitely felt the change of mood, he couldn't hear anyone other than Gavin's voice, figures turned blurry and it's as if he'd suddenly been thrown into a movie, he stared at Gavin, who was avoiding his gaze and that didn't help Leo to stop thinking about any possible bad news that was going to come up. The sky is getting darker and darker and it's as if Gavin was trying to get his words out before the night fully set in.

"I don't have a Christmas present for you, but…" Gavin was breathing heavily, he drove the tip of his shoe into the ground, grinding against the snow.

"…But?" Leo stopped panicking and was even relieved, but still, he expected something, he doesn't know what, but all of the sudden, his heart was racing and his stomach was fluttering. He braced himself and swallowed, realizing that his throat was dry, he clenched his fists in his pockets, and waited.

"Do you mind…" Gavin stood in front of Leo, facing him, he scratched at the back of his neck, then raises his head to look at Leo's eyes. "Taking my heart?"

Leo didn't reply, he was barely able to comprehend what he said, his mouth parted and closed and it seemed to give Gavin such much anxiety than he couldn’t hide it anymore.

"Oh, I fucked up didn't I-" Gavin pressed his palms onto his face, "Fuck- fuck, I'm sorry, I should've kept my mouth shut-" "No- no no no, no wait," Leo interrupted him, he let out a sigh and he breathed in, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and massaged his forehead, everything crossed his mind so quickly, he didn't know how to start. "Out of everything, and you choose one that I don't even know how to respond with-"

"I didn't know what I was thinking, okay? Look, just forget I ever said that, it's my fault I ever let it slide-" Gavin puts his hands up, Leo could tell he was about to bolt, so he grabbed his shoulder and spoke whatever he could think of, "No, no! Look- The easy part would have been rejecting you but the thing is-"

"The thing is?" Gavin echoed, looking back at Leo with a hopeful look in his eyes, and Leo's mind went blank that very second. "The thing is- no, let me get this straight, what did you mean by that?"

"By what?" Gavin asked, nervousness setting in once more. "By taking your heart of whatever?" Leo replied, and he didn't believe what he had said, honestly, how did Gavin come up with this and how did it come out of his mouth?

"Like, I want to kiss you, okay?!" Gavin confessed, he shook Leo's hand off his shoulder, they calmed down, their lungs were hurting from the cold and yet their faces felt warm.

"Why didn't you say so, then…" Leo replied, flustered. He grabbed his scarf and covered his mouth, he breathed into the fabric, soothing the sharp sensation in his throat.

And within a minute, the tension was gone, what arrived next was as quiet as the night, the rush of happiness of the moment they realize, neither of them had to hide anything anymore, neither of them screwed up, and both of them, apparently, by some miracle, shared the same feeling.

Gavin took a small step forward, he took Leo's hand, and the amount of comfort and joy that it gave him surpassed every pleasure he had ever known and felt. Leo squeezed back, it felt warm, and it felt new, like their hands just fit and how perfectly every inch of the skin of their hands were in contact.

Gavin used his free hand to gently pry at Leo's scarf, Leo shakily inhaled, and let Gavin close the distance between them. Their lips met, and Leo felt Gavin's lips closing over his, as he kisses back, Gavin let loose of Leo's hand, allowing Leo to wrap his arms around Gavin's neck as Gavin held his waist. They part for a second to glance briefly at each other, inhaling for air before Gavin catches Leo's lips in another kiss.

It was a simple, short, kiss on the lips, conveying an emotion that was easy to understand.

"Thanks for accepting me," Gavin says, parting from their embrace. "Same here," Leo replies, and Gavin takes his hand.

Before they knew it, the evening has settled into this town of theirs. They walked back to Leo's house with a slow pace, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, as if to make up for all the time they had spent testing the distance they were supposed to put between them.

They come to a stop and Gavin threw Leo a rather funny look that Leo couldn't hold back snickering at.

"See you at New Years?" Gavin suggested, still holding Leo's hand.

"Yeah, see you at New Years." Leo nodded, rubbing his thumb over the back of Gavin's palm.

"I'll call you," Gavin told him, it sounded very much like a promise, though.

"I'll wait for the call," Leo replied, and Gavin let out a content sigh.

"I better go inside before, you know," Leo glanced at his house's door, he sure as hell wasn't ready to explain it to his family.

"Yeah," Gavin chuckled, and let go of Leo's hand, he took a few steps backward and waved, "Bye."

"Bye," Leo bade, he walked up to the front porch and opened the door, giving Gavin one last wave and witnessing him make his way down the path, he closed the door.

"Leo, you're home early today," Carl called him from the living room, gazing at his son standing at the front door as he sat on the couch.

"Yeah," Leo answered, then Markus walked out from the kitchen into the room, followed by Simon.

"Mind some hot chocolate?" Markus offered, while Simon politely smiled at him.

"Sure," Leo shrugged, and for the first time in a long while, he was able to put on an effortless smile in front of his family, "Thanks."

"Come sit, join us," Carl waved him over, his calm voice overlapping with the sounds coming from the television.

Leo sat on the armchair, watching Markus handing Carl a mug of hot beverage, while pushing another toward his direction.

He took the mug and sat back into the chair, as Carl continued watching the show on the television, Markus and Simon sat next to each other on the couch, sipping on the drink, the sweetness quickly spread into his mouth, and he was suddenly reminded of the kiss that happened in the park.

He smiled to himself, perhaps Gavin's heart is kind of sweet, after all, the drink tastes so much better with him in his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so much for taking the time to read this!!
> 
> Again, Happy New Year! :)
> 
> (I was actually hesitant to post anything because of everything going on in the world. If you are reading this, and if you can and want to, please spread awareness on some issues going on in the world, retweet informative threads, share blogs, sign petitions, donate anything. Use your voice, use your platform. Your voice will save lives.)
> 
> Stay safe, wherever you are. I will be praying for your safety and well-being.


End file.
